Construction of multimillion-dollar national soccer academy delayed
Work won't start on Tseung Kwan O training centre until uncertainty over who will bear running, infrastructure expenses is resolved
Construction of the proposed multimillion-dollar national academy at Tseung Kwan O will be further delayed due to uncertainty over who will bear infrastructure and operating costs.
This delay will have a damaging effect on the new premier league beginning next season, warned a top Hong Kong Football Association official.
"We desperately need these facilities as soon as possible as some of the clubs in the new premier league next season were to use them as their training facilities. It is a far from ideal situation without these [national academy] facilities," said Mark Sutcliffe (pictured), HKFA chief executive.
Although the Hong Kong Jockey Club said it would bear the construction costs, it was uncertain who would take on the economic burden for providing the basic infrastructure for the landfill site, and the maintenance of the facility once it was built.
We had earmarked these facilities to be used by the clubs ... so it is far from ideal
This has resulted in another consultancy study being undertaken, and one which is expected to take a few months to complete.
"We have hired private consultants to look at the whole picture," said a senior Jockey Club source. "Right now, no one seems to know if the budget includes the costs of providing basic infrastructure like roads, water, etc. There is also uncertainty as to how the facility will be managed after it is built. All these questions have to be answered first."
